Sea of Monsters: Reyna's Beginning
by Monster'n'Disguise
Summary: Reyna's journey could have been very different. For one thing, she could have ended up as a Greek. How, you ask? Just read this story.
1. Meeting Reyna

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians franchise. All rights go to Rick Riordan. Please favorite, follow, and review.

Annabeth gave one last stare in Percy's direction before following Hylla out the door. For a reason she couldn't quite put her finger on, C.C. was really creeping her out.

"Don't worry dear." Hylla broke the awkward silence that had befallen them as they left the room. "C.C. will take good care of your friend over there. A little trim to his hair and some new clothes and he'll look absolutely perfect! I'm not so sure you'll be so easy to fix however."

"What do you mean?" Considering all the events swirling around in her head, Annabeth could care less about how she looked. Tyson was dead. Thaila's tree was dying. Clarisse was on a death quest with no one to back her up. Chiron was suffering for a crime he didn't commit. At this point, how her hair was styled was the absolute last thing on Annabeth's mind.

Hylla didn't seem to agree however. "Your hair is a rat's nest. Your clothes our burned, ripped, and caked with mud. Wounds run all over your body. And look at your terrible posture. Show some pride, fellow female! Stand up straight and walk with dominance. Show that you're not one to be trifled with!" Her smile was bright as day as she slapped Annabeth in the back, forcing her to stop slouching.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry, dear. Oh joy, look! We appear to have reached our destination!" Hylla dragged Annabeth into a marble temple where a breathtaking dolphin fountain stood towering above them, water spewing out of its mouth. Up a few floors were balconies facing in all directions. It was a truly magnificent sight. Hylla gave a call, "Sister!" A girl about Annabeth's age came walking down the stairs form the upper floor.

"Yes, Hylla?" Her voice had a cheerful sound but Annabeth caught the hateful undertones, skillfully hidden under a mask of happiness. Why would she not like her own sister?

"We have a guest. A V.I.P. to be precise. Give her the full treatment. Hair, skin, clothes, and all of that need to be completely redone."

"Yes, sister." The girl turned once on her heels and gave a whistle. Multiple girls, all around Hylla's age came in. Annabeth found herself being pushed onto a chair and her belongings being taken away. Hylla's sister and three others took out pure golden combs and began to gently brush away at Annabeth's hair. Two girls began to contemplate different outfits for her. They seemed to have only just begun her makeover when a fellow attendant, also Hylla's age, came in to the temple. Calmly she spoke,

"We have ourselves a Code Red. Hylla will fill you in for all the details." The girls that had been tending to Annabeth got up to leave. Only Hylla's sister remained, unmoving, as the others shuffled out.

Annabeth looked at the backs of the leaving attendants before looking at the remaining girl. "Code Red… is that a monster attack?"

"No. A Code Red is an escaped animal. A monster attack is a Code Run-around-in-fear-and-do-absolutely-nothing-while -Lady-C.C.-gets-rid-of-it."

Annabeth threw her head back and laughed, before turning back to look at her. "Why aren't you helping out?"

The girl stared at her for a few seconds before turning away. "Everyone here thinks that I'm useless. I'm not a magic protégée like my sister. They all tell me to stay out of their way when something like this happens."

Realization flooded Annabeth like a blown up dam. "That's why you don't like your sister." The girl turned away, almost as if she was ashamed. Annabeth had millions of questions for her, but there was one that was much more important than any of the others. If she didn't ask this question and get an answer, she wouldn't get answers for any of her other question either. "What's your name?"

The girl jerked her gaze back towards Annabeth, eyes wide with shock, before turning away again. Annabeth repeated herself "What's your name?"

"Reyna."


	2. Becoming friends

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson franchise. All rights go to Rick Riordan. Please favorite, follow, and review.

"Reyna, huh." Annabeth thought for a second before guessing, "It means queen in Spanish, right?" Reyna gave a nod before returning back to Annabeth's hair. "I'm Annabeth."

Reyna was silent for a moment before responding, "I know. Hylla told me your name. And yes, my name does mean queen in Spanish." Annabeth nodded. She didn't know much Spanish, mostly ancient Greek and a bit of Latin, but not a whole lot of Spanish. She did know the basics though. Reyna was finishing up with brushing Annabeth's hair. She put the comb on a nearby side table before getting up and leaving.

"Where are you going?" Annabeth called out. Reyna ignored the question and continued walking away. Everything was silent for a few minutes as Annabeth looked around at her surroundings again before Reyna came back in, holding a wooden bowl that contained a substance of what looked like vinegar. She held up Annabeth's newly made braid in her free hand and slowly poured the mixture onto her hair. It was thick, like maple syrup, and had the stench of olive oil. It was also cold. Really cold. Like ice. A few stray droplets dribbled onto Annabeth's neck and down onto her back, soaking into the back of the chiton that another one of the handmaidens had gotten her. She yelped as the freezing liquid came in contact with her skin. Yanking her hair out of Reyna's grasp, she flailed about, trying to get the icy mixture off her back.

Reyna laughed at her pathetic attempts to escape the chilly concoction. The girl reached over and grabbed an unused towel a couple feet away. Wiping away the water, or whatever it was, she chuckled again. "What's the matter? Don't like C.C.'s oil?"

"C.C.'s oil? What's that?" Annabeth knew a lot of mythology, not just ancient Greek, but other mythology too, but she had never heard of such a thing as CC.'s oil.

Reyna seemed to understand that this "CC.'s oil" wasn't mentioned in Mythology101 because her tone was patient, like a teacher explaining an eighth grade problem to a bunch of fifth graders, "C.C.'s oil is a concoction that Lady C.C. made only recently, about twenty years ago-

"How is that recent?" Annabeth was aware of how much she sounded like Percy, interrupting the person who was explaining a complex question with a stupid, useless question, but as a child of Athena it was her job to know as much as was possible. She blushed in embarrassment as Reyna turned to glare at her, as though that was the most idiotic thing she had ever heard, which it probably was.

Reyna heaved a sigh before explaining, "When you are an immortal being that has lived for thousands of years, such as Lady C.C., a time span of two decades pales in comparison. So yes, Annabeth Chase, twenty years is recent." Annabeth gave an uncomfortable chuckle as she listened to Reyna's explanation, "C.C.'s oil is a combination shampoo and conditioner as well as other hair care products. It is long lasting and very useful."

"It is also cold."

"Yes, Annabeth Chase, it is also cold."

"Please, just call me Annabeth. We are friends now." This seemed to catch Reyna by surprise, as her eyes widened and she stumbled back slightly. Annabeth couldn't figure out why, but she guessed anyway, "No one has been your friend here. You are always overshadowed by Hylla and so everyone is her friend but not your friend." Reyna nodded, but she was refusing to meet Annabeth's gaze. Annabeth felt a surge of sympathy for the girl. Being a demigod, she was always isolated whenever she attended mortal schools. It was one of the reasons she ran away with Luke and Thalia. So that she could escape the loneliness. The two of them fell into a state of awkward silence, as neither of them knew what to say to the other.

Reyna broke the silence by asking, "That shirt that you were wearing, the Camp Half-Blood one, with the orange and black… is this Camp Half-Blood a safe haven for demigods?" Annabeth nodded, although she did not understand why Reyna was bringing it up, at least not until Reyna said, "Does that mean that I could go there?"

Annabeth turned toward her in complete shock, "You are a demigod?!"


	3. Circe revealed

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson franchise. All rights go to Rick Riordan. Please favorite, follow, and review.

Reyna stared at her as if she was crazy, "Of course I'm a demigod. What did you think I was? A nymph? A naiad?"

Annabeth gave an awkward chuckle, scratching the back of her head sheepishly, "Heh heh, no, it's just that… well…"

Reyna gave a sigh before turning around, no longer facing her, "I figured you would know… you said you were my friend. Shouldn't friends know that kind of stuff?"

Annabeth gasped slightly before adding to Reyna's statement, "And we are friends. I just wasn't able to figure out your identity, that's all."

Reyna sighed, "Yeah. That's all." She whispered glumly before turning away again. Meanwhile, somewhere out in the distance, a scream sounded out. Both girls quickly spun on their heels and turned to face the direction that the cry had come from. "It must either be a really fast one or a really clever one." Reyna muttered.

Annabeth turned towards her, confused, "What do you mean really fast or really clever one? Is this the Code Red Hylla mentioned? You said a Code Red was an escaped animal, right?" Annabeth tried hard to remember. "There were all types of animals that I saw on my way here: turtles, horses, dolphins, leopards… that's it! There must be an escaped leopard!" Reyna shook her head. "Well, if it's not an escaped leopard, then what else could it be?" Annabeth was becoming both worried and impatient. What could the escaped animal possibly be?! And to be causing this much trouble too. What if Percy was in danger because of it?!

Reyna must have sensed Annabeth's obvious impatience, because she explained, "You're right, a Code Red is an escaped animal. It's usually a guinea pig. Lady Circe always turns the men into guinea pigs."

"Lady Circe?!" Just a few minutes ago, Reyna had been calling her Lady C.C. Reyna seemed to realize her mistake as she covered her mouth in shocked before muttering curses in Latin. Horror came upon Annabeth as she remembered the stories about the sorceress. And what about her green-eyed friend? Was Percy the escaped animal? The Code Red? Had he been turned into a guinea pig by Circe? Annabeth turned to run away to find him, but was stopped by Reyna's hand grabbing onto hers. Angry, worried gray eyes met with helpless, sorrowful black ones as Reyna tried to keep the daughter of Athena in one place.

"Let go, Reyna!"

"No! You could be seriously hurt if you go out there!"

"I already have been hurt! Hurt by you! You traitor!"

"Annabeth please…"

"Don't call me Annabeth! I called you my friend! I was the only one who called you my friend! And you repay me by turning my best friend into a rodent!"

"Annabeth, that wasn't me!"

"It doesn't matter who it was! My best friend is in serious danger and I need to go save him! And it's all thanks to you! You and your sister and every other one of Circe's attendants here! "

"Annabeth, you need to listen to me! Circe has been alive for many centuries and knows magic that even the strongest of demigods couldn't dream of! You'll be killed if you go out alone!" Annabeth turned towards Reyna with a look of rage in her eyes. Reyna continued to stare at her pleadingly.

Reyna's pleading was swaying the daughter of Athena, if only a bit. "Then I won't go alone. You know magic, don't you? You can come protect my back. If Percy and I escape unharmed, I might even consider forgiving you for what you've done to him and I." Reyna looked surprised for a moment before quickly shaking it off and nodding her head eagerly.

"You can trust me to watch your back?" Reyna was hopeful. Why else would Annabeth be willing to take her out to help find Percy? All her hope was crushed, however, as Annabeth shook her head. She didn't trust Reyna to watch her back. This was just desperation. Reyna was silent for a few moments before she mentioned softly, "Circe taught me how to track any and all living beings via their aura. If you give me some time, I can focus in on where Percy is." Annabeth nodded, so Reyna sat down into a meditative position and closed her eyes. Hylla and all the other attendants were over by the north shoreline, hunting frantically for Percy, but they were all in the wrong spot. There near the altar on the western side of the island, there was a small, black guinea pig running about in circles and it was squeaking repeatedly as though it was insane. There was no doubt. It was Percy.


	4. Sister reunion

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson franchise. All rights go to Rick Riordan. Please favorite, follow, and review.

"Percy's over there! My sister and the others haven't gotten to him yet, but we still need to hurry!" Reyna hopped up from the floor and grabbed Annabeth's hand, leading her towards their destination.

"Wait!" Annabeth called. Reyna skidded to a stop and turned her head around partly to look at her. "What about my dagger?" Reyna's eyes widened as she remembered Annabeth's weapon. Spinning on her heels, she ran over to a wooden cabinet on the far wall of the room. Her hand clamped around the handle of the top drawer and pulled it open, revealing a celestial bronze knife with a wooden handle. Picking it up, Reyna ran back over to Annabeth and handed her the weapon. Annabeth studied it before turning her attention back to Reyna, "You haven't tampered with it have you?"

"No. It was in the drawer the whole time." Annabeth didn't seem to believe Reyna as her gaze was distrustful. Reyna sighed, "Now is not the time for questions. Percy's in danger right?" Annabeth nodded, "Then let's go save him!" Taking her by the hand once again, Reyna quickly led Annabeth out the temple door and over a hill towards another temple, this one even bigger than the previous one. They stopped, however, when Reyna held up her free hand in a hold-it motion. Slowly, she pointed to a few feet to their left. There, running around wildly and squeaking loudly, like a complete moron, was a furry, black guinea pig with sea green eyes that were wide with panic.

"Percy!" The guinea pig abruptly stopped and turned to stare at Annabeth with eyes filled with hope. She ran forward and hugged him gleefully, "You giant idiot!" Tears of both joy and sorrow were filling her eyes as the two shared a happy reunion. The joy was cut short, however, when Percy took notice of Reyna. He squeaked angrily and jumped out of Annabeth's arms, heading straight towards the handmaiden of Circe with a look of murder in his eyes. He didn't get far though, as Annabeth reached over and grabbed him by the tail. "No." she scolded, "Reyna is a friend of ours and we can trust her." Reyna's eyes grew hopeful, "I think." Annabeth added causing Reyna to grow sad again as she kicked at a nearby pebble. Percy stared at Annabeth for a few seconds, debating whether or not he should obey her or attack the potential threat. He decided that if he wanted to stay out of physical therapy, which he did, then the best choice for him would be to obey her. So he did.

"He's over there! And there are people with him!" The trio turned to see a group of Circe's handmaidens had spotted them and where now making their way up to the temple.

"Pluto's pauldrons." Reyna swore. Annabeth looked at her. Did she just speak Latin instead of Ancient Greek? Shrugging it off, she picked up Percy and got ready to flee.

She looked towards Reyna, "Where to?"

Reyna looked nervous as she turned towards Annabeth, "I don't think you're going to like it."

Annabeth scoffed, "Please, I've been through so much today I've lost track of all the bad things that have happened. Hit me with your worst."

Reyna sighed, "We need to go back to Circe's temple. Otherwise, Percy will stay a guinea pig." Annabeth shuddered slightly. She didn't like the idea of going straight towards a crazy, immortal sorceress instead of away, but she wanted Percy to go back into his human form. He was completely helpless in his current form.

That was apparently the least of Annabeth's worries, as a voice sounded out behind them, "Reyna?"

Reyna turned around to face the voice, and paled. "Hylla?"


	5. Gaining confidence

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson franchise. All rights go to Rick Riordan. Please favorite, follow, and review.

"What are you doing here?! And with this scum too!" Hylla looked extremely angry. Percy squeaked furiously at the prospect of being called scum, but was silenced by Annabeth's glare.

"This is Reyna's problem." She whispered, "I want to help her too, despite what she did to us, but she needs to get over her inferiority complex that she has towards her sister." Percy nodded understandingly and looked over towards the handmaiden with worry in his eyes. Reyna stood frozen in place, her skin pale and clammy, her eyes wide with pure fear, and her mouth moving as if to form words, but not a sound was made. For a minute no dared to move as Hylla stared down at her sister. Eventually, Reyna broke the silence.

"I was helping Annabeth to find Percy." Hylla snorted at Reyna's pathetic explanation.

"Why help a useless male like him?" Hylla asked. Reyna opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the sounds of yelling. Other handmaidens were coming to help capture Percy. Hylla looked towards them before returning her gaze to her sister. "I came by myself so I could learn why you were here. Run towards the temple near the southern beach. When I meet up with you three there, you had better have a decent answer for me or else there will be serious consequences." Reyna nodded fearfully before running off, beckoning Annabeth and Percy to follow. They did.

"What do we do now?" Annabeth asked, as they collapsed onto the floor of the temple. She was very lost. There wasn't a good ending for all three of them that she could see. If they saved Percy, Reyna would lose her sister and maybe even her life. If Reyna went to her sister's side, Percy would remain transformed and Annabeth would remain trapped on the horrid island.

"We save Percy. You showed friendship towards me. Something that no one else did, not even my own sister. And I'm going to repay the favor. I will help you to transform Percy back, no matter what happens to me." Reyna held up a bottle of pills. The same exact bottle of pills that Hermes had given them. "These were in the back pocket of Annabeth's old clothes. Each type of pill does something special that can help us out." She twisted the bottle around so that the back was visible. There was a list of the different types of pills and what each one did.

Red pills = immunity to non-physical weapons

Yellow pills = increased powers

Blue pills = reversed status effects

Green pills = increased mental stability

Annabeth looked it over. "The red pills will make us immune to Circe's magic. The yellow pills will increase your magical abilities. The blue pills will turn Percy back into a human. And the green pills will give you the courage to stand up to Hylla." Annabeth took out a red pill and swallowed it. She took out a red pill and a blue pill and offered them to Percy who ate them gleefully. He glowed gold for a moment before shedding his fur and enlarging himself. In a few seconds he stood before the two girls, perfectly human. Annabeth yelped happily and leapt up to hug him. Percy returned it completely.

"Thanks for saving me you too." Percy was clearly relieved. They all were.

"Just don't let it happen again, Seaweed Brain." Reyna gave an awkward cough, grabbing the attention of the other two. "You're going to need some pills too, Reyna." Annabeth took out a red pill, a yellow pill, and a green pill and offered them to the girl.

Reyna shook her head slightly, accepting the red pill and the yellow pill and slipping them into her mouth, but not the green pill. She swallowed the two pills and spoke, "I need to stand up to Hylla with my own courage, not with that of some godly medicine." Annabeth nodded understandingly and put the green pill back into the bottle

"Reyna!" Hylla ran into the temple, a look of rage on her face. "Answers, now!"

Reyna hesitated for a moment before looking at Annabeth and Percy. And she saw it. A future. A future with them. A good future with them. Going to the camp that Annabeth had spoken of. Camp Half-Blood. Playing around with the two and not being left behind or disrespected. Training to be the best warrior possible to make her mother, her warrior-born Olympian mother, proud. And courage flooded into her.

"Percy and Annabeth are my friends and you will not hurt them." Reyna stood tall, equal in height to Percy, maybe taller. Her voice was filled with confidence. For the first time in her life, Reyna stood as a true demigod. Hylla seemed taken aback by her sister's response, but was even more taken aback by what Reyna did next. "Percy, Annabeth. We're leaving." Reyna marched towards the bay, followed by her two friends and onto a pirate ship that was large and strong. Percy hoisted anchor and the ship sailed off. Just like that, Reyna had left her terrible past behind, in hope of a brighter future.


	6. Siren sighted

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson franchise. All rights go to Rick Riordan. Please favorite, follow, and review.

A single tear slipped down Reyna's face as she sat on the bed in her quarters. Annoyed, she wiped it away from her cheek with a bit more force than was necessary. This shouldn't be happening to her. She shouldn't be crying over something that she had chosen to do of her own free will. But she was. And she absolutely hated it.

A knock sounded on the wooden door. "Reyna? Can I come in?" It was Annabeth. After they had left Circe's island behind the week before, the blonde had taken to constantly visiting Reyna on her quarters below deck to comfort her. With a creaking noise, the rusted door slid open and Annabeth stepped inside. The blonde looked at Reyna's tear-stained face. "You're still crying?" It sounded more like a statement than it did a question.

Reyna sniffled slightly. "Why? Why do I have to be so weak?" Annabeth shook her head before sitting down on the bed alongside Reyna.

"You're not weak Reyna. You just lost your sister. People always cry when they lose a family member, whether it's to death or to betrayal or to something else entirely." Reyna growled angrily.

"I didn't lose her, I left her behind! And I'm starting to regret it too." Annabeth heaved a sigh at Reyna's inferiority complex. She and Reyna had both believed that standing up to her sister in the way she had would have given her courage. But it had only seemed to make her weaker. "Percy didn't cry when he lost Tyson to the explosion. You didn't cry when you lost Luke to Kronos and Thalia to the transformation." Even though the comment was clearly made to be hurtful, Annabeth smiled. "What?" Reyna demanded.

"Even though we only left Circe's island a week ago, you already know a whole lot about us and our quest. The campers are all going to love you when we get back to Camp Half-Blood."

Reyna scoffed, "If we manage to make it back to Camp Half-Blood. We need to defeat a thousand year old, skyscraper-sized Cyclops and steal a dead sheep made of precious metal. Then we need to retrace our steps back through the pirate graveyard we call the Sea of Monsters, and finally go through a monster infested, densely populated city and make our way to Camp Half-Blood without being killed or captured or put on mortal wanted posters or losing the Golden Fleece."

Annabeth smiled again, this time even wider. "Sounds fun to me."

Reyna snorted. "It would, coming from someone who almost fell into Tartarus."

Annabeth gave a chuckle. "Actually, that was Grover. He was almost pulled in by a pair of magic shoes."

"Oh yeah, your satyr friend." Reyna grinned before looking down again, sad. "I wish I had friends like those. I wish I had friends period." Growing up alone had not been fun. But now she had a chance to change that. Now she had a clean slate. No one would ever have to know that she had grown up as a handmaiden reject. No one would ever need to know. And she trusted Annabeth and Percy not to spill her secret. Hopefully.

Annabeth seemed to read her mind as she said, "There's no need to worry about Percy or I betraying you. You're one of us now, one of the demigods, and we never leave a fellow demigod behind." Reyna frowned slightly, instead of smiling.

"What about Luke? Didn't he get betrayed?"

Annabeth shook her head. "No, Luke didn't get betrayed. He betrayed us. But you aren't going to do that are you?"

Reyna shook her head vigorously. "No. I would never betray any of the friends that I have."

Annabeth grinned again. "That's good. That's very, very good."

A knock sounded on the door again. Percy poked his head in and looked at the two girls. He looked shaken up, even scared. "Annabeth, do you remember telling us about the island of the Sirens?" Annabeth nodded her head. "Well, I think we found it."


	7. Waxy ears

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson franchise. All rights go to Rick Riordan. Please favorite, follow, and review.

"Sirens." Reyna murmured. She and Annabeth had come rushing up the stairs to the deck when Percy had announced the island was in view. Reyna had thrown the anchor down into the water so the boat wouldn't go closer to the island. She turned towards Annabeth, "What are we going to do? We can't go around them or else we won't reach the island Grover's on. But we don't want to hear their singing or we'll die, right?"

Annabeth nodded. "Right. Their songs lure you to either jump overboard or crash your ship into the island. But if you don't hear the songs, then you won't be affected. You two will put wax in your ears so you won't hear them. There's a candle below deck in my room that can be used as ear plugs. You two can put the wax in your ears and then tie me up to the mast with some of the spare rope."

"Whoa!" Percy cried. "Why are we going to tie you up to the mast? You're going to be wearing earplugs too, right?" Reyna was surprised as well. Surely, Annabeth didn't want to hear the song of the sirens.

Annabeth had other ideas. "I want to hear the siren's song. It's said to expose one's greatest ambition in life. I want to know what mine is. You can tie me up to the mast with some of the spare rope so that I won't jump overboard to my doom."

If Percy had shaken his head any faster than he already was, it would've fallen off. "There is no way I would ever let you do such a thing. The sirens are dangerous Annabeth! Even a seaweed brain like me knows that! Reyna won't let you listen to them either, right Reyna?" She nodded her head up and down so fast that she felt like a bobble head on a sugar rush. Annabeth was the first friend she had ever had and there wasn't a soul in the universe that could stop her from keeping her friends safe.

Annabeth grumbled something about dreams and blindness under her breath before gazing them right in the face. "Guys, please, this is my chance to find out my true goal in life, my true purpose, so please, you have to let me listen to the siren's song." She gave them the puppy dog face, something Reyna had never expected her to use, especially not on them.  
And, unfortunately, it worked. Annabeth's puppy face was just too darn cute and pathetic for Percy and Reyna to say no to.

"Alright then." Reyna heaved a sigh. "Percy, you tie Annabeth up. I'll go below deck and get the wax for our ears." Percy nodded and ran over to the far end of the ship were the rope was lying. Reyna turned back towards Annabeth. "Are you sure you want to do this? It could be dangerous."

Annabeth nodded. "I need to find out what my goal is. Besides, if Percy knows how to tie a half- decent knot, then I won't be able to get out. There's no need to worry." Reyna was hardly convinced, but she let the matter go. Turning to the door, she went down and found the candle that Annabeth was talking about. Grabbing it, she made her way back upstairs.

Her brain had decided to play a fun game of "Let's torture Reyna with horrible What-if scenarios." What if Annabeth went insane? What if Percy took the wax out of his ears? What if the ropes around  
Annabeth snapped? What if the ship crashed into the rocks? What if the sirens invaded their boat and tried to kill them? What if a monster came and attacked them? What if everything bad that could happen happened? She angrily told her brain to shut the Pluto up. It did. For the time being.

Coming back upstairs, she handed some wax to Percy and took the rest for herself. Stuffing it in her ears, she turned back and had to fight in a laugh. He looked RIDICULOUS! The wax made it look like he had bunny ears. He was laughing at her, so she must have looked stupid to. Annabeth was laughing at the both of them. Eventually, they got over their giggles and tied Reyna up. Percy raised the anchor and went up to the wheel to steer. Any minute and Annabeth would hear the sirens singing.

Reyna looked over to the daughter of Athena and was horrified by what she saw. Annabeth was straining against the ropes as hard as she could and was sobbing her heart out. She turned towards Reyna and began mouthing pleas to free her. Reyna forced herself to look away and noticed that Percy was doing the thing she was. The worry got the best of her, and she looked over and screamed. Annabeth was missing, the ropes were lying on the deck with a clean cut through them, and Annabeth's celestial bronze knife was lying on the deck next to the ropes. They had forgotten to disarm Annabeth! This was quickly turning into one of the horrible scenarios her brain had mentioned. This could not turn out good at all.


	8. Expendable one

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson franchise. All rights go to Rick Riordan. Please favorite, follow, and review.

Reyna frantically waved at Percy, trying to get him to stop the boat. He did, and looked down at her in confusion. His gaze followed to where Reyna was pointing, from the mast and the ropes and dagger lying on the ground to the water where a barely visible humanoid shape was making its way towards the island of the sirens.

His eyes widened with panic. "What are we going to do?!" Percy mouthed. Reyna pointed to him and then pointed to the deck. It was a sign that obviously meant STAY. She then pointed to herself and then to the water. She was going to dive off the ship and into the water after Annabeth. Percy nodded, probably reluctantly, and Reyna ran to the side of the deck, mustered all of her courage, drew a deep breath, and dove headfirst into the freezing ocean.

"I'm going to die." She thought to herself, "I haven't been trained for this kind of stuff. I'm not a hero. Percy is. But if Percy dies, Annabeth will never recover. She can recover from my death but not from Percy's. I'm the expendable one of the group. I'm the one who needs to risk this" She hit the water and was immediately disoriented. Looking around, panicked, she noticed a bright light and swam straight towards it. As her head broke the surface, she immediately began gasping greedily for air. Looking around, she spotted Annabeth far ahead of her. She began to swim towards her friend.

The waves repeatedly crashed into her, almost as if someone or something was purposely manipulating them to hold her back. But she didn't give up. Annabeth was now only a few meters ahead and Reyna was not going to lose her best friend. She was only a few feet behind. Three feet behind Annabeth. Two feet behind Annabeth. One foot behind Annabeth. Right behind Annabeth. Reaching forwards, Reyna gripped Annabeth's ankle and pulled Annabeth towards her body. She slipped her hands around Annabeth's waist, despite her violent struggling. Looking around, Reyna noticed that the ship had drifted away slightly. Not good.

It then hit her. The water. Water blocked sound waves. Annabeth wouldn't be able to hear the sirens underwater. Taking a deep breath, Reyna pulled herself and Annabeth underneath the waves and the blonde immediately stopped struggling. She looked at Reyna with eyes filled with remorse. Reyna nuzzled her neck to show that everything was okay. But everything wasn't okay. They couldn't hold their breath forever. But if they went above the surface, one of them would hear the siren's song.

"You're the expendable one." Her mind whispered softly. "You're the one whose death will have the least effect." Reyna contemplated her options for a moment before making up her mind. She took the wax out of her ears and slipped it into Annabeth's. Then she kicked upwards and the two reached air. Annabeth started swimming for the ship, but Reyna remained treading where she was as she listened to the siren's song. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. An image took up her head.

Hylla, Annabeth, and Percy were all sitting at a picnic blanket on a hill overlooking a gorgeous beach. A sunset of many colors rested on the horizon and the sky was dotted with migrating birds. Marble temples and golden statues stood proud and tall off in the distance. The ocean water sparkled and waves gently crashed against pure white sand on which seashells of all designs lay scattered about. Fish, dolphins, and whales all jumped across the waterline, performing a beautiful dance of swimming. The siren's song was quiet and echoed around in a well-planned symphony of voices. It was amazing. And then the logical side of her brain took over.

"No thank you." It said. "This could never happen in real life so why bother listening to some stupid song about it?" The siren's song grew louder and faster the more her brain refused. Reyna lifted her arms to swim towards the ship but hesitated, and looked back towards the island. The wondrous voices had become glass shattering screeches. "If you couldn't hypnotize me with good singing, you won't hypnotize me with bad singing either." The logic in her mind stated defiantly. The sirens, angered at Reyna's defiance, took flight and charged her, screeching madly.

Reyna yelped and dove underwater, just barely avoiding a siren's talons. A second siren came rushing in and dive bombed Reyna. Its talons raked across her back, earning a scream from the girl. Bubbles floated up towards the surface as Reyna went tumbling threw the water. Too late, she righted herself and realized she was about to make impact with something. A mine.

"Please let Percy and Annabeth be okay." She prayed.

The explosion ripped off much of her skin, and she felt as though her organs had been snatched out. Even in the cold water, she could feel the sheer heat of the explosion. The blast sent her tumbling into the depths of the ocean, bubbles and blood slowly floating up to the surface where the waves crashed.


End file.
